


and tell me how it ends (i'd do it all again).

by redhoods



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, brief appearances by the others, timelines are fake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 10:06:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12932985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redhoods/pseuds/redhoods
Summary: Rip’s obnoxious voice rings through his head, droning on about paradoxes and as much as Len doesn’t trust him as far as Mick can throw him, paradoxes have played a part in practically every sci-fi movie Len has ever seen and he’s not too keen on the idea of one himself.And yet, he’s still standing there, wishing he were face to face with his own Barry but still selfish and greedy enough to appreciate this older one. The way Barry is looking at him, though, tells him his appreciation isn’t unwanted.





	and tell me how it ends (i'd do it all again).

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elenamichaels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenamichaels/gifts).



> Another gift for the [coldflash winter exchange](https://coldflashweek2016.tumblr.com/), this one for Samantha. Her prompt was "Barry and Len had started to develop the beginnings of a relationship together before Len was asked to join a time traveling mission to save the world and Barry encouraged him to go, and while on the Waverider, the Legends end up having to stop in Central City a few years in the future. And though they were supposed to try and avoid interacting with anyone they know, it’s no surprise that Barry and Len still end up running into each other. Barry tries not to reveal anything to Len about his future at first, but of course Len ends up picking up on something being off here, and maybe they end up figuring out a way to save him from dying at the Oculus together."
> 
> Timelines are weird and strange and half the time don't make sense to me, so I winged it with their solution to saving Len's life and we're just going to pretend that it would actually work and just sorta *handwave*, this is totally accurate and plausible and who cares because Len is alive.
> 
> The title came from WALK THE MOON's song Surrender.

“I told you that there was good in you,” Barry’s face is insufferably smug, and even if this isn’t actually his Barry, Len still wants to kiss the look off his face.

The years have been good to him, nearly a decade has passed for this Barry, and Len knows that he needs to go, that he shouldn’t still be standing here staring. Rip’s obnoxious voice rings through his head, droning on about paradoxes and as much as Len doesn’t trust him as far as Mick can throw him, paradoxes have played a part in practically every sci-fi movie Len has ever seen and he’s not too keen on the idea of one himself.

And yet, he’s still standing there, wishing he were face to face with his own Barry but still selfish and greedy enough to appreciate this older one. The way Barry is looking at him, though, tells him his appreciation isn’t unwanted.

Len shrugs, the smirk that pulls at his lips familiar and easy, “Don’t get your hopes too high, Scarlet,” the nickname feels good to use, “Can’t always teach an old dog new tricks.” The jewels that Barry had very nearly busted him lifting make a brief appearance before disappearing back into his parka.

That doesn’t get the reaction he was expecting though. Instead of looking like he’s gearing up for a good lecture, Barry looks almost pained. “You can try though, right?” His voice is a hollow sort of sad, the kind that Len usually associates with loss.

He opens his mouth to ask, he can’t not ask, not after seeing that look on Barry’s face, paradoxes be damned.

The words don’t have a chance to form, because someone shouts “Barry!” and it takes Len a second to place the voice as Cisco. Barry shoots him an alarmed look and Len lifts an eyebrow.

Cisco jogs up to them and it takes him several long seconds to even realize Len’s there and when he does... well, his expression says it all. 

“Len -” Barry starts but Len holds up his hand.

He wants to know, of course he wants to know, but he shouldn’t. It says something about Barry’s influence on him that all he can think is that there are a lot more lives at stake than just his own.

“I should really get back,” he turns and starts walking, doesn’t look back despite the overwhelming urge to do so.

\-- 

By the time he gets back to the Waverider, Len’s cycled through his fair share of emotions, but mostly he’s pissed. At Rip. For every bullshit lie he’s spun, for convincing them all that’d they be something more than they are.

He has zero qualms when he slugs their so called captain right in the face, but also doesn’t struggle when Sara shoves him back, “What the hell, Snart?”

“Why don’t you ask him?” Len snarls, flexing his fist. It’d felt damn good to catch Rip off guard.

Some sort of realization dawns on Rip’s face, “Mr. Snart, I told you explicitly not to inter-”

Rip is cut off by an unmistakable blur of lightning and everyone swivels in Barry’s direction, “Gideon, does this cause irreparable damage to the timeline?”

“Risk of irreparable damage is low, Mr. Allen.”

Barry turns a satisfyingly smug smirk in Rip’s direction, “Now, why don’t you shove it? I need to speak to Len here and I think at this point I have far more experience in timeline meddling than you.”

“That’s a modest assessment,” sarcasm drips from Gideon’s voice and Barry shoots a fond grin at the ship.

Rip actually opens his mouth like he’s going to argue, but whatever he says is lost to the sensation of moving far too fast. Len hasn’t done this a lot, let Barry run with him at super speed, and he doesn’t think there’s a possibility of getting used to it.

\--

“So I sacrifice myself to save these idiots?” Len feels incredulous and mostly at his own actions.

Barry looks distinctly uncomfortable and Len wonders how much time he has. How much time they have. “Well, Mick,” he says quietly, “And, you know, all of time pretty much.”

Len nods slowly, “From corrupt time cops,” he adds. Reiterates more like, because that certainly sounds like him. In a sort of distant, heroic way. Barry really has been rubbing off on him too much.

A frown mars Barry’s features and he hasn’t stopped pacing since he brought them into the Waverider’s kitchen. Len’s just glad to know some things don’t change.

“I’ve wanted to run back and warn you so many times,” Barry says quietly, more to his own feet than actually directed at Len and he wants to be angry, but he can’t muster anger for his own future self’s actions. No one has ever been able to convince him to do something he didn’t really want to do.

Barry stops suddenly and looks at him, determination set into every line on his face, “I have a plan though.”

\--

Nothing actually prepares him for standing at the Oculus, watching the other legends rush off with Mick in tow. He hadn’t been able to tell them, hadn’t wanted to risk one of them getting some stupid notion in their head to stop him. Mostly, hadn’t wanted any of them to tell Rip.

For all that he said the Time Masters were a corrupt organization, he had a way of acting just like them.

Len counts, slow and steady. He believes in Barry, always has, but that still doesn’t mean he won’t do what he has to if Barry doesn’t show.

The thought is for nothing though, because when he reaches zero, a body crashes into him and there’s a sensation he isn’t sure how to describe, like he’s somehow being pulled through a door the size of a penny. It feels like only seconds but simultaneously years when they stop running.

Barry has a wild look on his face and Len is simply glad that the Waverider appears to be empty when they come to a stop, “Gideon -”

“The timeline is intact,” her voice is reassuring and soothing and Barry’s shoulders slump.

Len sinks down into one of the seats, wonders how long before the team comes back, wonders how long it has been for them.

“My memories will start changing soon and then,” Barry swallows heavily, shifting around restlessly on his feet and Len nods.

This Barry’s history is about to rewrite and there could be, will be, unknown ramifications, even if the timeline as a whole is still as it should be. “Go, I’ll be okay,” Len reassures.

Barry disappears in a familiar burst of lightning and Len sits back to wait, “Gideon, when are we?”

“1776, Mr. Snart.”

\--

“Listen, you’ll get on just fine without us, stop being a bunch of saps,” Mick doesn’t sound nearly as threatening as Len thinks he was aiming for and he snickers to himself.

Len doesn’t actually get to see any reactions, because he’s hit by a blur of red and lightning and by the time the world has reverted back to normal, he can still see the Waverider but not the team itself. “Well, hello to you too, Scarlet.”

Barry has his cowl shoved to hang down around his neck and he’s scowling, “You were dead,” he says accusingly. It’s almost petulant. Len’s waiting for his lower lip to poke out.

“Nope,” he pops the ‘p’, if only to aggravate Barry a little bit more, “Was never actually dead, just displaced.” He spreads his arms out and wiggles his fingers, “Thought you’d be happy to see me.”

Something shifts in Barry’s expression and Len once again finds himself being slammed into once more, but this time Barry’s moving at normal human speed and a laugh startles out of him as he wraps his arms around Barry’s back, “See, this is more the welcome home I was expecting.”

“Shut up,” Barry’s words are muffled by the way he has his face pressed in Len’s parka.

Len grins, hiding the expression in Barry’s hair even if no one’s there to see it, “You missed me,” he sing songs.

Barry pulls back and there’s an unmistakable grin pulling at his lips, even if his eyes are heavy with something else, “I thought you were dead,” he says softly and Len feels the weight of it.

He presses their foreheads together, circles both arms tighter around Barry’s waist, “I’m sorry about that,” he’s sincere in his apology, “Time travel is finicky and I came back as soon as I could.” Later, maybe, he’ll tell Barry the full story, but for now, he’s just going to enjoy this while he can.

“I’m really glad you came back,” Barry says, his hands fluttering everywhere, like he’s not sure where to touch, like he’s reassuring himself that Len is alive and real and right in front of him.

Nodding, Len’s grin softens into an actual smile and he cups Barry’s jaw, “Told you I would, didn’t I?”

\--

“This is your chance to do something good,” Barry is so earnest, practically vibrating with it and if Len weren’t so fond, he’d probably be exasperated.

Len leans back against the desk, wondering briefly what sort of squawking would happen if Cisco could see them, “You have way too much faith in me,” he says softly, reaching out and cupping Barry’s side, drawing him in. He isn’t going to admit it, but his main motivation has been about proving Barry right, that his faith wasn’t misplaced. “I’m in this to see what sort of historical artifacts I can get my hands on.”

Barry snorts and Len half expects to be called out, but instead Barry curls towards him, pressing them together, toes and thighs and chests and foreheads, “I have as much faith in you as you deserve,” his voice is so sincere and Len wishes he could look away but Barry has him effectively trapped and, well, he really doesn’t actually want to look away.

“If this comes back to bite me in the ass, I’m holding you responsible,” Len tries to put as much disdain into his words as he can manage, but it’s not much, especially judging by the way Barry’s eyes crinkle when he smiles.

Soft lips press to his and Len lets himself have this. He lets himself be selfish and greedy, lets himself have this pocket of happiness. Barry starts to pull away and Len draws him back in, cups his jaw and kissses him a little deeper, a little more thoroughly, doesn’t pull back until they’re both breathless and Barry’s lips are swollen. “As long as you come back, I’m okay with that.”

He isn’t usually the type to make promises, not ones he’s not certain he can keep, but in the face of Barry’s belief in him, his sincerity, Len still finds himself saying, “Promise. I’ll come back.”

**Author's Note:**

> also i'm stupidly pleased by that ending.


End file.
